My day, in feelings.

Here’s how most days go for me:

My first thought when I wake up is “how can I keep sleeping?”  as in is it hamburger day at school? (the only hot lunch acceptable to Joseph), can I somehow drive Joseph so I have an extra 10 minutes?  How much does he reallllly need breakfast??  (kidding) etc etc etc.

But, once I’m up and the coffee is down I’m good to go!

I’m great to go, in fact!  The world is my oyster! 

I’m whistling a tune and coming up with little puns and jokes that no one gets but me! (my humor is lost on the 7 and under boy crowd)  I have a to-do list that is totally doable because I can do it allll!!! Take THAT Monday!!

 

And then nap time comes inching closer and, what do you know?  I am actually rather sleepy.  In fact really sleepy.  This laundry is boring now.  And that to-do list seems bossy.  Why are these children talking to me? GET IN BED EVERYONE IT’S NAP TIME!

Next, I try to nap during the 20 minute window between when Samuel stops singing on the monitor and when Joseph comes slamming in the front door from school. It is often successful for 5-10 of those minutes, but also often interrupted by the other child needing to poop, needing a snack, wanting to snuggle, wondering if he can run outside “real quick” in the front yard, or the UPS man.

Then comes the afternoon, which is my nemesis.  It is full of fighting (“I had it first!” “No I DID!”  PEOPLE!! How am I supposed to know who had the freaking thing first?? HOW??  I don’t understand this part of parenting!)

My ears are flooded with information about

1) Pokemon 

2) Rocks

3) any thing regarding body fluids

and I have a sweaty post nap toddler plastered to me and suddenly I realize that everything I have done to clean up has been undone and it turns out that my to-do list is impossible.  IMPOSSIBLE!  And I hate to do lists now and I am basically rocking in the corner in my robe muttering to myself like a crazy cat lady.

 

The clock finally makes it to 5:30 and one of two things happen.

1)  I suddenly perk up and am sunny and productive and “whats the problem?  I’ve got this!” when Brian comes down from work (note: this is Brian’s favorite option) or

2)  I fling myself at him and tell him how tired I am and all of the horrible things that the children have done to each other/the house/me.

At which point Brian strokes my head and says that he’s tired too and I shriek “NO!  YOU CAN’T BE TIRED!!  I’M THE TIRED ONE!! THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE OF US!” and we cling to each other in the eye of the storm, with bedtime looming on the horizon.

One million years later, all the children are bathed, brushed, flossed, threatened, hugged, pajama-ed, and in bed.

And, what do you know it?

I’m feeling pretty darn good!

Lets have more babies!  Aren’t they so adorable?  What was my problem today?  They are so sweet and it is all so meaningful and rewarding!  Life is good!  Wheeee!!!!

And I stay up to late watching tv.

Repeat.

Mothers Day 2015

 

Warning: Picture overload!  But whatever, its my day!!

My mothers day started the way most of my mornings start, with little chilly Isaac in my bed, scratching my back.

Isaac’s heart is kind, and he loves getting his back scratched more than anything…therefore he loves to scratch other people’s backs for them! (even people from the opposing t-ball team who are standing on base with him!)

The next thing I knew it was 9 am (the longest I’ve slept in in YEARS!) and I fairly floated downstairs to awaiting coffee and muesli.

 

The boys had given me my present the day before (a beautiful flower basket with blue flowers, picked specifically because they know blue is my favorite color), but they gave me lots of kisses, and Joseph gave me his FOURTH card of the week, (not pictured) which mostly featured him describing how much he didn’t want to go back to school the next day after a four day weekend! haha!

 

(I don’t actually like to wear dresses much, but other than that he nailed it!)

 

 

Let me just tell you that there is nothing better than the sound of your husband cleaning up the breakfast mess while you take a hot shower!! BY YOURSELF!!!  It made me want to marry him all over again!

Then there was church, Chipotle for lunch, and a nap! (Let me just tell you there is nothing better than the sound of your husband cleaning up the kitchen again while you drift off to nap!)

Lastly,  it was off to my mother in laws for a BBQ and fire- complete with a tractor ride, and our first s’mores of the season!

(Brian explaining why we can’t step into the fire pit to grab something out of the fire “real quick”.  Party pooper!!)

Motherhood has been…surprising for me.  Not what I had imagined, but so powerful and sweet and such an honor for me.

I am so blessed!

PS: 

Dear Future Caitlin,

I’m sure that you are looking at these pictures and feeling sad that you can’t hug these little guys.  Maybe regretting that you were not more patient, and wishing you could go back to change a few things.  But, I just want to tell you- dear old lady Caitlin- that every day (good or bad!) you really, really, really tried your very best.  Also, I just gave those stinkers a hug for you, and Isaac made himself toot.  So…

enjoy the quiet for me?

Love,

Current Caitlin

Pilllllooooowwwws!

 

You guys!  Guess what?!

I MADE THOSE PILLOWS TODAY!

Gaaaah! Can you believe it?!   Yes, yes you can, especially if you look closely and you can see all of my crooked seams….aaaaaIso maybe some of the pillow covers on the small pillows were supposed to be for the big pillows, but then I measured wrong and…hey!  Lets focus on the positive!  First ever pillllooowwwws!!

I have been looking at new pillow covers online for a while now (We got our current ones when we moved to New Jersey 5 ish years ago!), and I was feeling so discouraged about how expensive they all are!

Then, I thought waiiiit a minute.  I think I can make those!  And then I thought, nope.  Probably I can’t!  And then I watched a youtube video on how to make envelope closure pillows and I was back to thinking I could!

And so I did!

I might have ignored my children a bit all afternoon to get them done, but when they were like “Seriously, Mom, we are HUNGRY FOR SNACK”  I totally popped them some microwave popcorn.

Also, when Samuel woke up from his nap, I definitely snuggled him while carrying him down the stairs and making my voice sound all excited about the new! sewing machine! he gets to watch!

Then I plopped him in a chair right next to me while he said “What’s this?  Wow, good job!  What’s this?” a million times while I shrieked “Don’t touch that!  Thank you!  Don’t touch that!” a million more.

Lastly, dinner was yogurt with granola, and a side of carrot sticks and grapes.

So they weren’t too neglected is what I’m saying.

After the kids were in bed, I ran downstairs and hunched back over the machine, and Brian was like “I’m going to the half price movie at the theater I guess” and I was like, “What?  Are you talking to me?” and off he went.

So he’s not here to praise me anymore, and my mom is apparently living her life? or something?  And can’t respond to my maaaany Facebook messages/pictures that I’ve sent her in the past hour (RUDE!) so here I sit reaching out to YOU, blog.

  For a little praise, a teensy pat on the back, and also to commemorate these pillows-  before the boys jump on them tomorrow and bust all of the seams.

Hello!

 

I didn’t mean to take such a long blogging break, just like I didn’t mean to not lose all of the baby weight from my pregnancies! But here we are people!

Its feeling like summer here, and we are eating outside, staying up late, getting the tub all filthy.

I think maybe I just had a baby?  But no, he’s 2.5, potty trained, and pronounces his name “Samels” (rhymes with camels)

 

And this fella here is getting registered for kindergarten, in size 7-8 clothes, and is nearly 60 pounds.  He will do anything to make other kids laugh.  Like….anything.

 

Last but not least Joseph is 7.5 here in a week or so (an excuse for cake?) and now runs off to play with neighborhood boys instead of his Mama?!  Also, watch out, he will talk your ear off with his new interest…ROCKS AND MINERALS!!

(zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…..)

 

As for me- I’m hanging in there!  Equal parts excited for and dreading summer vacation.  And loving having NO MORE DIAPERS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 7 YEARS OH MY GOOOOOSH!  You should feel my purse, people.  It’s seriously so light.

Just like my…heart?  (I never know how to end these blog posts)